Audience Brings Advanced Audio Noise Suppression to AT&T Mobile Devices

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Audience, Inc., a leading global provider of advanced voice and audio processors for the mobile and telecom marketplace, today announced plans to deliver noise suppression technology solutions for AT&T wireless devices.  Based on reverse-engineering the human hearing system, the Audience voice processor chip can identify the primary voice in conversation and cancel out background noise, intermittent sounds and echoes, whether speaking or listening, to improve mobile call quality in noisy environments.

"We are excited about the opportunity to work with AT&T to deliver our advanced noise suppression technology to their devices, enabling mobile phone users to take and make calls independent of surrounding conditions, freed from having to adapt their phone usage to noise," said Peter Santos, president and chief executive officer, Audience. "Combining our audio processing expertise and technology with AT&T's market leadership and insight, we also see exciting opportunities to deploy our technology to enable voice as the next generation interface for mobile device functions and applications."

The Audience noise suppression technology will be introduced across a selection of AT&T mobile handsets, from various equipment manufacturers, in the first half of 2010.  For mobile customers, the technology significantly improves the quality of voice communications, by providing immunity to background noise, and automatically adjusting voice volume and equalization during calls to adapt to local noise interference.  The technology also enhances performance for voice-based mobile applications such as voice search and user verification.

"AT&T is pleased to work with Audience to enhance our customer experience toward our ongoing commitment to deliver the most compelling device portfolio in the industry," said Jeff Bradley, Senior Vice President, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.  "Audience provides a unique and industry-leading solution to an ongoing challenge for mobile users -- background noise -- and allows clear and successful communication in nearly any environment."

About Audience

Audience is a voice processor semiconductor company that enables clear communications anywhere with noise suppression technology based on the intelligence of the human hearing system.  The technology is applicable across a broad range of consumer products where voice needs to be intelligible in noisy environments.  Audience was the Silver Winner in the 2008 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards and the Winner of the Semiconductor category.  The company was included in Gartner's "Cool Vendors in Semiconductors, 2008" and selected as the Most Innovative True Mobile Start-Up for the "2008 GSMA Mobile Innovation Global Awards."  Audience is one of 34 founding member companies of the Open Handset Alliance and the only provider of advanced noise suppression technology.  Investors in Audience include New Enterprise Associates, Vulcan Capital, Tallwood Venture Capital and VentureTech Alliance.  Audience is based in Mountain View, California.  www.audience.com

SOURCE Audience, Inc.